Flawed Design
by DareU2Bme
Summary: "Have you ever kissed anybody?" asked Mercedes with a melancholy sigh... "No, I haven't," answered Kurt. "But I want to"... AU Season One
1. Preface

_AU GLEE SEASON ONE_

_This is another experimental Fic! Hope you enjoy the ride. Comments are appreciated._

_Some of the scenes are taken straight from Glee episodes to help incorporate this fic into the storyline of Glee.. however, it takes a turn for AU pretty quick. _

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><p><em>.<br>_

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><p>When I was a young boy<br>I was honest and I had more self-control  
>if I was tempted I would run<br>then when I got older  
>I began to lie to get exactly<br>what I wanted when I wanted it  
>and I wanted it<p>

Now I'm having trouble  
>differentiating between what I want<br>and what I need  
>to make me happy.<br>So instead of thinking  
>I just act before I have<br>a chance to contemplate  
>the consequence of action<p>

And I will turn off  
>And I will shut down<br>Burying the voices of my conscience hitting ground  
>And I will turn off<br>And I will shut down  
>The chemicals are restless in my head<p>

Cause I lie  
>Not because I want to<br>But I seem to need to all the time  
>Yeah, I lie<br>And I don't even know it  
>Maybe this all a part of my<br>**Flawed Design**

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><p><em>.<em>

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><p>Mercedes Jones was leaning against the lockers just a few down from Kurt's when he strolled up. She had been waiting to meet him, but when he approached, she was staring off into space with a faraway look in her eye.<br>"Have you ever kissed anybody?" she asked with a sigh.

"Yes," said Kurt as he unlocked his locker. "If by someone you mean the tender crook of my elbow."  
>Kurt grabbed his hairspray from his locker and sprayed a cloud of it around his head.<p>

"No, I haven't," he admitted with a sad undertone to his voice. He put his hairspray back into his locker and stared into the shallow depth of the metal compartment as a sigh escaped his lips. "But I want to."

Kurt shut his locker door and looked over at Mercedes. She was staring down the hallway at a couple who were kissing against a locker; of course it was a cheerleader and a football player. Kurt followed Mercedes' gaze and, seeing what she was looking at, shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, stop it right there, Mercedes," laughed Kurt. "We are in glee club, which means we are at the bottom of the social heap. Special needs students will get more play than we will. The only thing that gets me by is knowing that we are superior to all of them."

Grabbing her hand and linking their arms together, Kurt led her down the hallway chattering away about every moment being an opportunity for fashion. Mercedes beamed at his attention, wishing they could be 'together' like all the other couples at McKinley High. When they approached Kurt's next class he asked her to meet him for lunch after suggesting they hit the mall after school and with that he left her to go to his class.

She smiled to herself, wondering if he might be interested in her. He was a bit more '_fabulous_' than the average boy, but he had never outright said he was gay. What if he wasn't? What if there was a chance? No, she shouldn't get her hopes up like that. He was most certainly gay, even if not completely 'out-of-the-closet'.

Just as she sped up her walk to head to her next class, she was approached on either side by Quinn and Santana, the head cheerleaders. They linked arms with her as if they were her best friends. Sure, they had just joined Glee club, but she never expected them to be 'chummy' with her. They were at the top of the food chain and she was at the bottom.

"You should totally scoot that," said Quinn, her 'head cheerleader smile' firmly fixed in place.

"I don't think I'm his type," said Mercedes, shaking her head and smiling. She hoped they would pick up what she meant by that without her having to spell it out.

"Oh, I think you are," replied Quinn.

Mercedes raised an eyebrow and looked over at Santana who simply nodded.

"Just follow our lead," offered Quinn. "We've got your back."

Raising both eyebrows in surprise, Mercedes looked back and forth between the two cheerleaders as they both smiled sweetly at her. They walked with her until she reached her next class and then left her with matching smiles and winks. Mercedes wasn't sure if she should be pleased or terrified by the sudden attention she had gotten from them, but the prospect of having Kurt for a boyfriend was too exciting for her to dwell on the unease the two cheerleaders had placed in the pit of her stomach. 

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><p>Walking down the school hallway, Kurt fumbled with his large stack of text books he was planning on dropping off at his locker before heading to lunch in the cafeteria with Mercedes. He didn't notice the three guys in red jackets walking up behind him until he was flying sideways and smashing into the lockers, his books falling from his arms. All balance lost, he slid to the floor to join his books in a heap of disarray. As his brain was only just catching up to what had just happened, he felt an ice-cold liquid pour down over his head, dripping down his face and the back of his neck.<p>

One of the three boys tossed a 'big-gulp' slushee cup to the ground beside Kurt before the group walked away laughing together. Kurt didn't bother standing up, just scraped some of the frozen blue liquid from his eyes with one hand before pulling his cell out of his pocket with the other. He turned the screen on and found the familiar number in his contacts to text Mercedes that he'd be late.

Finally, stood and, pocketing his cell phone, he gathered his books. He sped-walked to his locker, dropped off his text books and grabbed his 'Slushee Survival Kit'. He wondered if it would get better or worse before he was able to graduate and get out of this stupid town as he walked to the bathroom to clean up.

Though Kurt tried not to think about it all that much, Mercedes has successfully put it on his radar earlier that morning.

He was lonely.

Obviously, he longed for someone. He would see couples holding hands as they walked down the hallways, or kissing between classes (sometimes making out between classes), or sitting together at lunch, or just flirting with each other, and it would just reinforce his loneliness. But, he wasn't just lonely in the sense that he wished for a special someone, he was lonely because he felt completely alone.

There was Tina and Rachel who both dreamed of being performers, something they had in common with Kurt. There was Mercedes who loved to go shopping and was equally as diva. Other than that, though, Kurt was alone. He didn't have anyone to confide in over his daily struggles. His dad loved him and supported him, but he didn't really '_get him'_.

Kurt was a complete social outcast, and, as far as he knew, he was the only gay kid in his school. He hadn't even '_come out_' about it and yet he was taunted for it all the time. Being in glee club didn't help his social status at school, nor did his lack of involvement in sports or his high speaking voice, but he was definitely targeted mostly for being a '_fag_'.

What would happen if he actually did admit it? And what if his wildly unrealistic fantasy of meeting another gay guy who shared many of the same interests as him were to magically come true and he did find someone? How much worse would the taunting and the bullying be, then? He was pretty much doomed to continue to be lonely until he could get out of Lima, Ohio.

Kurt sighed and began his all-too-familiar task of cleaning slushee from his hair, face, and clothes. 

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><p><em>lyrics from "Flawed Design" by Stabillo<em>


	2. Field Trip to Carmel High

_AU GLEE SEASON ONE_

_This is another experimental Fic! Hope you enjoy the ride. Comments are appreciated._

_Some of the scenes are taken straight from Glee episodes to help incorporate this fic into the storyline of Glee.. however, it takes a turn for AU pretty quick. _

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><p><em>.<br>_

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><p>Kurt and the Glee club girls piled out of his Navigator when they arrived at Carmel High School. Upon the suggestion of the glee club's newly joined Cheerios, Rachel had got it in her head that they needed to hire Dakota Stanley to help choreograph their routines for Regionals. It was the only way they stood a chance to win, or so Rachel had said. So, here they were at a rival high school stalking the short man who was currently working with Vocal Adrenaline; the best of the best show choirs in the state.<p>

"Damn Kurt, this car is fly," exclaimed Mercedes walking around the vehicle she had just exited with an impressed look on her face.

"My Dad got it for my sweet sixteen after I swore to stop wearing form-fitting sweaters that stop at the knee," replied Kurt shutting his door and turning to look back at his Navigator with pride. After speaking, he quickly swung around to face the girls gathered around him and raised his pointer finger, "what he doesn't know, doesn't hurt him."

"Are we even sure they are rehearsing today?" asked Quinn as the group began to walk up the sidewalk to the school's oversized Auditorium.

"Vocal Adrenaline rehearses every day from two thirty until midnight," replied Rachel, quickly.

The cheerleaders had moved to the head of the pack with Rachel and Tina taking up the tail end. Kurt walked beside Mercedes and reached to take her arm in his. Mercedes could feel her pulse suddenly increase at his gesture.

"I'm just so nervous these Vocal Adrenaline kids are gonna laugh at us," sighed Mercedes, trying to hide her excitement over Kurt's proximity. "They are so cool and popular, and we look like we just stepped off the short bus."

"Those sweaty Nazis have just had more time to practise," replied Kurt looking down at Mercedes as they strolled arm in arm. "We have more heart... And you don't look touched in the head; that outfit is amazing."

Mercedes smiled brightly at his words before glancing over at the three cheerleaders who gave her nods and smiles. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Kurt.

"So, would you ever," she began. "You know, want to hang out?"

"Come over," replied Kurt without missing a beat. "It's Liza Minnelli week on AMC"

"Guys!" cut in Rachel, suddenly. "That's Andrea Cohen. She won outstanding Soloist last year at 'Absolutely Tampastic'."

Everyone stopped walking. Mercedes pulled her eyes away from Kurt to see two girls from Vocal Adrenaline standing at the garbage can just outside the doors of the auditorium. One was leaning over the can like she was vomiting, the other clutching at her back saying something that Mercedes couldn't quite make out.

"Are you guys Vocal Adrenaline?" asked Rachel, excitedly as she took a few steps toward them. "We'd like to talk to Dakota Stanley about choreography for our glee club."

"Don't," exclaimed the girl looking up from the garbage can. "He's a monster."

Mercedes grabbed at Kurt's arm at the girl's words, fearfully wondering what Rachel was getting them in to. The two Vocal Adrenaline girls straightened their outfits and walked back into the auditorium, allowing the group to follow them. The girls and Kurt settled themselves into some seats to watch the rest of the rehearsal while they waited for a chance to speak to Dakota Stanley.

It was a long wait, but Mercedes took solace in her proximity to Kurt. He was sitting in between Tina and herself with the three cheerleaders behind them and Rachel on the other side of Tina. Every once in a while, Kurt would lean over to comment about something they were watching; his breath was warm and tickly in Mercedes' ear.

Mercedes kept glancing sideways at him, running through all the compliments he had given her when they had gone shopping after school the day before. Their trip to the mall had been strictly platonic, she knew, but she couldn't help but put extra emphasis on every flattering thing he had said to her when she had shown him different outfits she tried on. When they had stopped shopping for a quick meal in the food court, he had chattered away about something to do with the latest issue of Vogue and the colours that were 'in' this season. She had been so lost staring at his face and fantasizing about what it would be like to have him for a boyfriend that she had missed most of what he had said.

At some point, Kurt had lost interest in the constant replay of "Mercy" and had started playing 'Angry Birds' on his phone. He was brought back, though, when Dakota had called out that the group run through the number one last time.

The group seemed flawless and effortless, even though they had been at it for hours. They may not have had the same level of enthusiasm, but their exhaustion wasn't visible. When the group finished, Dakota angrily yelled at them to get off his stage. His voice sounded irritated and disappointed, as if they had spent the entire time flailing on the stage, stumbling through the choreography and missing notes. The look on Kurt's face as he watched the group leave the stage mirrored Mercedes' own feelings of surprise and disgust.

"Hurry," spoke Rachel, pushing back her own shock and rising to her feet. "We need to go talk to Dakota Stanley before he leaves."

The rest of the girls and Kurt rose to their feet, feeling stiff from sitting so long, and followed as Rachel bounded across the auditorium to catch up to Dakota. He had already disappeared out of the building, though, by the time they had crossed the rows of seats.

Rachel raced out of the single EXIT door on the side of the building and ran down the sidewalk to find Dakota getting into his car. The rest of the group caught up to her as she slowed to walk up to the car.

"Mr. Stanley," called out Rachel. "We're the McKinley High Glee Club!"

"No interviews," replied the short, little man.

"We'd like you to choreograph for us," put in Tina, standing next to Rachel beside the man's red sports car.

_"_Look, my fee is 8,000 dollars per number, plus a 10,000 dollar bonus if you place in the top three," explained Dakota. "And with Dakota Stanley at the wheel, you will place at the top three. Move it."

With that, he revved his engine and sped off leaving the small group of kids standing in dumbfounded silence.

"How are we going to get 8000 dollars?" asked Rachel, cutting through the silence moments later.

The car ride back to the school was quiet besides the soft playing of the music from Kurt's iPod. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Mercedes kept sneaking peeks across the vehicle at Kurt from where she sat in the front passenger seat. He was silent, his face set in an unreadable expression. Kurt dropped the group off at McKinley so that they could get their own vehicles and head home.

Rachel got into the driver's seat of her Chevrolet Cruze. Tina followed her and got into the passenger seat as Rachel was taking her home. The three cheerleaders piled into Quinn's vehicle and took off.

"So," said Mercedes from where she was still seated in Kurt's vehicle. "Liza Minnelli week, hey?"

"Yes," responded Kurt, turning to smile brightly across at Mercedes. "Come over tomorrow after school if you like."

"I would," replied Mercedes, smiling back at him.

"It's a date," chuckled Kurt before pulling out of the parking lot.

Mercedes beamed.

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><p>The next day Mercedes was at her locker when Tina and Rachel approached her.<p>

"We need to have a Gayvention," spoke Rachel. "That's a gay intervention."

"It's Kurt," stuttered Tina, her stutter coming back. "He's lady fabulous."

"It's obvious you like him," said Rachel, choosing to ignore Mercedes' eye roll. "We just don't want you to get hurt by feelings he can't... reciprocate."

Mercedes turned back to her locker and pulled her textbooks out for her afternoon classes.

"Look," said Mercedes as she swung back around to look at her two friends. "Just because he wears nice clothes doesn't mean he's on the down-low."

"He wore a corset to second period today," exclaimed Rachel in exasperation.

"You can do better, Mercedes," said Tina.

"Really? Well, what if I can't?" asked Mercedes, finding some of her diva attitude returning. "There's not a lot of guys around here knocking down my door for a date." She stopped for a moment and turned to look pointedly at Rachel before continuing with, "Or yours, for that matter."

"Nobody notices us," explained Mercedes, her voice filling with emotion as she catapulted into a rant. "Hello? We're in glee club. And I'm tired of being lonely, Aren't you? And Kurt… Kurt is sweet to me, and he likes who I am... And I like how I feel when I'm with him. And he's in our group; he understands what I'm going through. Now, maybe that's not enough for you guys, but it's enough for me."

Mercedes shut her locker door and turned to walk away, she frowned to herself as she left her friends standing stunned at her locker. A mix of emotions was floating through her mind as she left them. _Why couldn't they be happy for her? Why didn't they seem to understand? Were they right about Kurt? She had worried the same thing, but... but he had been giving her signals that he was interested... and what about what Quinn and Santana said? _


	3. And It Begins

_AU GLEE SEASON ONE_

_This is another experimental Fic! Hope you enjoy the ride. Comments are appreciated._

_Some of the scenes are taken straight from Glee episodes to help incorporate this fic into the storyline of Glee.. however, it takes a turn for AU pretty quick. _

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><p><em>.<br>_

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><p>Mercedes sat nervously on the white couch in Kurt's white room as he took a quick shower. He had been slushied on the way to his locker after the last class of the day. Mercedes had been with him at the time, but just standing far enough away that none of the syrupy icy gloop had hit her; only a little bit of back spray which was easily wiped off without a second thought.<p>

She had been to his house a few times before, so, she wasn't sure why she was so nervous this time around. Being left alone in Kurt's room sure wasn't helping, though. Looking around at the minimalistic decor of the white on white room, she noticed a few of Kurt's hats sitting on his shelf and wondered what was hidden in the big white file boxes on the same shelf. _Probably full of back issues of Vogue_, she thought to herself.

The shower turned off and it wasn't much long after that Kurt's bathroom door opened and he stepped out in a fluffy white bathrobe. Mercedes could feel her cheeks warming in embarrassment as Kurt strode out of the bathroom in his usual graceful, self-confident saunter. He turned to his long, low dresser. It was one of the only things in the room that wasn't white, but it was still very edgy and minimalist in nature. It was a dark mahogany wood with modern chrome pulls. Mercedes had never paid so much attention to furniture and decor as she was that afternoon. If she didn't spend her energy studying the furniture, though, she just knew her thoughts would be stuck on the fact that Kurt was standing in front of her in a bathrobe.

"Sorry about this, 'cedes," sighed Kurt as he straightened from leaning over the dresser after choosing some new clothes to wear. "I'm just going to get dressed and then I'm all yours."

Mercedes bit her lip at his word choice and nodded her head in response. Thankfully, he carried his pile of clothes back to the bathroom to change. Mercedes exhaled when Kurt shut the bathroom door behind him.

"Pull yourself together, Girl," she reprimanded herself through clenched teeth.

A few minutes later, Kurt came out of the bathroom dressed in jeans and a red polo. Mercedes rocked her weight forward on the white couch, hoping they could go upstairs to pop some popcorn and watch Cabaret like they had planned. Sitting in Kurt's room when she had so many sudden feelings about her friend was just plain awkward.

"Oh Gaga, what time is it?" asked Kurt as he checked his hair in the mirror. "I hope it hasn't already started."

"Nope," replied Mercedes, looking down at her watch. "We've still got ten minutes."

"Excellent," breathed Kurt, turning from the mirror to flash Mercedes a smile. "Let's go, Liza Minnelli awaits."

Mercedes grinned and stood. Kurt moved to the bottom of the staircase but stopped before going up, he turned back to her and motioned for her to go up ahead of him.

"Ladies first," he said with another smile.

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><p>"Your rims are clean," sighed Mercedes the next day. "We've polished them, like three times already."<p>

With the help of Coach Sue Sylvester and her squad of Cheerios, Rachel had managed to set up a car wash to raise money for the Glee club so they could hire that condescending dwarf dude to choreograph for them. It was taking place after school and seriously cutting in Mercedes' personal plans. She huffed out a frustrated sigh and looked across the vehicle at Kurt.

"Did you bring a change of clothes?" asked Kurt, choosing to ignore her complaints. "Because we're going straight to sing-along Sound of Music."

"So, listen, Kurt," spoke Mercedes, pushing through her nerves. "This is like the third time we've gone out. Can we just make it official?"

"Make what official?" asked Kurt, sudden frustration filling his voice.

"You know, that we're dating," laughed Mercedes, trying to cover her anxiety.

"I'm sorry Mercedes," replied Kurt, his face contorting into a strange mixture of a grimace and amusement at the same time which he quickly schooled into a solemn, guarded expression. "I thought I had made it very clear..."

He stopped when he saw the look of confusion and the beginnings of hurt cross Mercedes' face. _How could she not know? It was obvious wasn't it? He was gay! _But if it wasn't obvious to Mercedes, perhaps that meant that it wasn't obvious to other people at McKinley, too. He had never actually outright told anyone of his sexual orientation.

"... that we are just friends," amended Kurt.

Mercedes' face fell.

"Why?" she asked, her voice suddenly choked and much lower in volume.

Kurt bit his lower lip, not sure what to say.

"Is it because I'm more _curvalicious_ than most girls?" asked Mercedes, her voice beginning to grow in strength once more, though she sounded like she might be panicking. "Or that I'm black? Or that I'm very much a diva because I'll have you know..."

"No, no, no," exclaimed Kurt, lifting his hands up defensively. "Wow, Mercedes, no! Don't even say that. Don't say things about yourself in such a negative way... _None _of those things are deterrents. You're amazing and don't you ever think otherwise."

"Then why, Kurt?" asked Mercedes, the waver in her voice telling him just how close to tears she was.

"Mercedes," sighed Kurt, setting the rag he was using down in the bucket of soapy water. He stepped around the front of the Navigator to meet her on the other side. "You're my only real friend here at McKinley."

Mercedes looked up at Kurt when he took her hands in his.

"If we were to date and then break up... I'd have no one," he explained. It was a good cover story, and it was true even if it definitely wasn't his reasoning for not being interested in her. "I guess that sounds a little selfish..."

"Who's to say we'll break up?" asked Mercedes suddenly.

"We're sophomores in High School," deadpanned Kurt, looking at Mercedes solemnly. _And I'm gay_, he thought to himself.

"Fine, but, Kurt, we were friends first and we can still be friends after... if that even happens," assured Mercedes. "I really like you, Kurt, and I think we could be good together."

Kurt sighed. He stared into Mercedes' eyes for a few silent moments, toying with the idea in his mind. He really didn't want to turn down his best friend, he could see her insecurities surfacing in her eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to reveal his secret just yet. Taking a deep breath and holding it, he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin.

"Will you give me some time to think about it?" he asked.

"Okay," replied Mercedes, cautiously hopeful.

Kurt let the breath he was holding out and nodded. He let go of Mercedes' hands and turned back to finish cleaning the SUV.

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><p>Mercedes was uncharacteristically quiet that evening when she and Kurt sat in their favourite booth at Breadstix. It would have bothered Kurt if he wasn't lost in thought. He had always tried to appear confident; he had built up walls to protect himself emotionally, and much of them were shrouded in self-assurance and attitude. The problem was that it was all a farce. He didn't feel anything but insecurity and he was tired of it.<p>

He was tired of "faggot", "lady-boy", and "homo". He was tired of locker slams, tired of having to change his outfit in the middle of the school day because of slushies, tired of picking himself up every time he was pushed down. Perhaps he did have as much self-confidence as the average kid his age, the problem was, it didn't even cover half of the anxieties he faced in a single school week.

He looked across the table at Mercedes, then. She was cutting into her chicken breast, knife and fork in hand. Kurt really did think she was pretty. Her skin was beautiful, her eyes big and brown, and she always did her hair so beautifully. Kurt took a sip of his drink. Could he do this? Could he date Mercedes Jones?

He looked across the table at her again and tried to think of all the things about her that were attractive. Her nose, for example; it was so cute. He loved her nose. Her lips were full and soft looking; that should be appealing, right? He loved how she wore big, dangly earrings and her trendy outfits –wait, no, back to sexually attractive things. Errr... What about her figure? She was curvier than most, but she dressed well for it... ugh, KURT... not clothes... think about her breasts or something.

Kurt cringed.

That was when Mercedes looked up from her plate and smiled across the table at Kurt. He attempted to smile back, but it was forced and she obviously noticed. She frowned and set down her knife and fork.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No," sputtered Kurt. "No, just thinking."

Mercedes' frown grew.

"Kurt..." she questioned.

"Let's do it," Kurt suddenly said, placing his hands on the table on either side of his plate and rolling his shoulders back. "I want to be your boyfriend."

Mercedes blinked at Kurt vacantly for a few moments as his words sunk in.

"So... by 'do it' you mean..."

"Try being more than friends," replied Kurt, rolling his eyes. "You know, date."

"Okay," responded Mercedes, her voice still measured.

"Wow, don't you sound pleased," laughed Kurt in his nervous, breathless manner that always indicated he was trying to cover his own anxiety.

"Yes, well, it isn't the most flattering way to get your first boyfriend," sighed Mercedes.

"You're right," responded Kurt with a light sigh. "Since this is already kind of a date-ish evening, forget what I said and let me ask you out properly tomorrow. I promise to be a gentleman, despite what impressions this conversation just gave you."

Mercedes smiled at his words but shook her head.

"Kiss me goodnight on my doorstep tonight and we'll consider this our first date," she replied, her eyes sparkling with sudden excitement.

Kurt swallowed nervously but managed a much more convincing smile than his last forced one. He nodded before turning his attention to his meal. After taking a bite, he snuck a look over at Mercedes who was also focused on the food on her own plate. She had a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Despite being apprehensive about this entire situation, Kurt enjoyed the knowledge that it was him that put that smile there.

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><p><em>hang on, we're getting there...<em>


	4. Of First Kisses and Gay Beards

**Title**: Flawed Design  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: Kurt/Mercedes  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13 (_for now_)  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: Season 1  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Mercedes has a crush on Kurt. When this comes to light, Kurt has the opportunity to stay in the proverbial closet a bit longer, hopefully freeing himself from related bullying. But, will it all come slamming back in his face?

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

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><p>Kurt walked Mercedes up to her front door that evening. He had opened her car door for her and took her by her hand as she stood. It was a good thing he had watched so many <em>chic flicks<em> and romantic movies. He may not have felt confident about his feelings toward the girl, but he was confident in how to act like a gentleman. Mercedes was beaming.

Mercedes turned around when they reached her front step.

"I had a really good time tonight, Kurt," she said, softly.

"I did, too," replied Kurt, managing a smile. "Thank you for accompanying me tonight; Sing-a-long Sound of Music has never been as fabulous as it was with you."

She smiled sweetly up at Kurt, her cheeks pinking just slightly under her smooth, chocolate complexion. Knowing what part came next, Kurt's stomach did an uneasy flip as he looked down into her expectant eyes. Taking a steadying breath, he leaned forward and placed his hands on each of her arms. She closed her eyes and leaned toward him, tilting her face up to connect their lips.

Kurt, eyes closed and leaning down, froze when he felt his lips lightly touch the full lips of his best friend. It was a strange feeling, knowing that he was kissing someone and they were kissing him right back. He wanted to be ecstatic. He wanted to be swooning. He wanted time to cease and the world to melt away. Instead, he couldn't stop thinking, and that caused him to wonder if one should be thinking during one's first kiss. And if one is thinking during one's first kiss, what does one normally think about?

But, his first kiss, if it even counted, really shouldn't be some sort of cute pucker on pucker like something two elementary children would share. So, even if this was a girl he was kissing, and even though it wasn't just any girl but his friend, Mercedes, he decided to press onward. Moving his lips against hers, he tilted his head and deepened the kiss.

His movement brought out a soft gasp from Mercedes which Kurt thought quite interesting. He would have to file that away for future use if they were to be dating. Their lips seemed to fit together rather well, actually. When he did end the kiss and straightened his posture, Mercedes slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him with a soft smile on her face. She looked like she enjoyed the kiss which made Kurt smile.

"Goodnight, Kurt," spoke Mercedes, her voice softer than he had heard it before. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Kurt grinned at her and said, "Until then, my dear," before turning to head back to his car.

Mercedes was still standing on her front deck when Kurt was settled in the front seat of his SUV. She smiled and waved at him when he caught her eye. He gave her a quick wave before backing out of her driveway.

As he drove home, Kurt wondered if maybe this really could work. The kiss hadn't been a magical fairy tale kiss, but, that would probably be true with anyone. Disney had probably just given him strangely high expectations of something that was merely a physical act of affection. Kissing someone couldn't possibly have some sort of magical effect. Perhaps with practise, the kissing would feel better, too. It was a first kiss after all, and neither of them knew what they were doing. Kissing Mercedes hadn't caused any sort of '_ew, girl cooties_' panicked reaction, so, that had to be a good sign at least. He had felt no revulsion at kissing a girl and it had felt nice to share that moment with someone he cared about.

On his drive back to his house, he went over his internal library of romantic dates to try to come up with a good plan for his next date with Mercedes. This was his best friend and unofficial, soon-to-be-official girlfriend, he needed to come up with something really special because she definitely deserved to be properly wooed.

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><p>Mercedes struggled to school her expression into something of nonchalance as she stepped into the school the next morning. <em>It was so hard, though! <em>She had gone on a date with Kurt the night before. It wasn't an official date at the beginning but she was _not _going to complain about the semantics involved because it had turned into a real one before the night had been through and she had gotten her first kiss. It had started off a bit awkward but the kiss had turned into something rather splendid, it was a pretty accurate reflection of the evening as a whole, really. And now... now Mercedes was going to see Kurt again and he would ask her out on a second date like he had promised and that should be enough for them to be officially dating which would mean she had a boyfriend. _A boyfriend_.

A squeal of delight grew in the back of her throat and Mercedes worked to swallow it down, she needed to play it cool. Mercedes Jones did not squeal over boys.

She turned the corner of the hallway and her steps faltered for a moment when she saw Kurt standing at his locker. He must have just arrived because he was working at his combination lock, a heavy book bag slung over his shoulder and his jacket still on. Mercedes bit her lip and fought between running toward Kurt and turning and fleeing. Her heart was pounding in her chest and excitement was bubbling in her bloodstream.

Her feet carried her at a steady pace toward Kurt and his locker even while she continued to debate between running to him or away from him as the anticipation heightened. Kurt turned as she approached and flashed her a bright, but close-lip smile.

"Good morning, Mercedes," he sing-songed at her. "You look positively radiant this morning."

Mercedes felt herself flush at his words, a bashful but happy smile pulling at her lips.

"Hi, Kurt," she managed coyly.

Kurt continued to smile affectionately even as he turned from her to put his things in his locker and fish out what he needed for his first class of the day.

"So," he said airily. "I was hoping I could take you out for dinner and a movie this weekend."

"Why, Kurt Hummel, are you asking me on a date?" asked Mercedes flirtatiously.

"Yes, Mercedes Jones," replied Kurt, almost laughing. "I was hoping to be your boyfriend, you see."

"I _do_ see," replied Mercedes after a short pause.

Kurt and Mercedes smiled at each other for a few moments, Mercedes somewhat more dopily than Kurt.

"Get a room!" exclaimed Santana in a disgusted tone. "Or at least be less sickening!"

Startled, Mercedes wrenched her eyes away from Kurt to see Quinn, Brittany and Santana walking past. Quinn was smiling devilishly, Brittany was bopping her head from side to side with a faraway look in her eye, and Santana was glaring at her and Kurt.

"Virgins," she spat out in exasperation, throwing her hands in the air.

Mercedes made a point of rolling her eyes dramatically which caused Kurt to chuckle softly. They linked their arms together, Kurt shutting his locker door, and walked off in the opposite direction of the sneering cheerleaders to go to their morning classes.

* * *

><p>Mercedes was practically floating as she walked hand in hand down the hall with Kurt. They were holding hands. <em>Holding hands<em>. Not like little children did when crossing the street. No, their fingers were intertwined; Mercedes' dark fingers contrasting beautifully against Kurt's exceptionally pale ones.

After their morning classes, Kurt and Mercedes had sat together for lunch, which, by itself wasn't unusual at all, but it felt so much different now that they were practically officially going out. She couldn't help but smile smugly at Tina and Rachel who were sitting across from the table from them when Kurt had brought up their upcoming date again, asking Mercedes what restaurants in town she liked.

"Hey guys, looks like Homo's found himself a beard," sounded a gruff taunting voice that quickly pulled Mercedes from her cloud and back to the reality of McKinley High.

She and Kurt came to an abrupt stop in front of the small group of burly jocks in red letterman jackets.

"I am _not_ Kurt's beard," snapped Mercedes lifting her chin and staring boldly at the boy who had spoken.

"Is that so," sneered the boy. He wasn't even looking at Mercedes, though; he was grinning maliciously at Kurt. "Why don't you prove it, Homo? Why don't you kiss her right here and now?"

Mercedes turned to look over at Kurt who was glaring daggers at the large jock. She squeezed his fingers in an attempt at being reassuring because even though he had a cold front, she could feel his hand shaking in hers.

"I don't think so," replied Kurt, his voice amazingly confident despite the rest of the boys in the group now standing in a looming semi-circle around them. "If I were to kiss her now, it would only prove that I am indeed using her. I don't need to prove anything to you Neanderthals and when I _do_ kiss my girlfriend it is for our benefit and no one else's. So why don't you big buffoons stop _perving_ on Miss Jones' and my love life and go bother someone else, you're blocking the hallway."

Mercedes found herself gaping at Kurt. A weaker or less gentlemanly boy definitely would have just leaned in and kissed her to escape this situation and she wouldn't have thought any different, but after hearing what Kurt had said, she couldn't help but be impressed if not a little turned on. It was as if by not kissing her in that moment, he was protecting her virtue (but not in a sexist way) and saying that kissing her was something too special to be cheapened by doing only to prove a point. And she couldn't help but put emphasis on the fact that Kurt had called her his _girlfriend_. Yes, Mercedes was swooning.

She didn't have long to, though, because the group of boys in lettermans were still standing around them. The one who had been doing all the talking didn't seem half as impressed by Kurt's speech as Mercedes had been.

"Wrong answer," he replied with a fiendish grin before taking a large step back.

There was a lot of movement and suddenly Kurt and Mercedes were standing in a puddle of slushies with the icy drink in a few different colours seeping down their faces, staining their skin and clothes. The group of boys quickly dissipated, laughing as they left. Mercedes and Kurt stood there for a few moments, frozen in place by shock and the ice-cold beverages. Finally, Mercedes removed her hand from Kurt's to brush slushy from her shoulders and the text books she had been carrying under her free arm.

"I'm so sorry, 'Cedes," spoke Kurt, softly, as he gently brushed a few clumps of slushy from her hair.

"Don't apologize, Kurt," replied Mercedes rather sharply, angry with the jocks for being assholes, for ruining her clothes, and most importantly, for putting that dejected look on Kurt's face. She grabbed Kurt's arm and started for the nearest girl's washroom. "Let's go get cleaned up."


	5. Pepper Steak and a Mediocre Movie

**Title**: Flawed Design  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: Kurt/Mercedes  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13 (_for now_)  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: Season 1

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<br>**

* * *

><p>Kurt grumbled internally as he parked his black Navigator in the parking lot in front of the ugly brick wall of Stone Grill Pizza. It wasn't a classy, old-style brick; it was a utilitarian brick, sturdy, ugly and less expensive. He moved around to the other side of the SUV to open the door for Mercedes. She smiled brightly at him when he offered her his hand to hold while she stepped out of the tall vehicle.<p>

"I'm sorry it's not the nicest of places," apologized Kurt, waving at the restaurant before them with is free hand. "Our options are sort of limited in this town, though."

"It's great, Kurt," replied Mercedes turning to smile at him while giving his hand a little squeeze.

"It was this or Old Barn Out Back and I just couldn't subject us to such atrocious American _charm_," said Kurt, his mouth turning down in distaste as he said the last part. "This is our first real date and we deserve all the class Lima has to offer, even if that is something Lima is lacking in."

Mercedes let out a soft laugh at Kurt's words as he directed her across the small parking lot. Kurt really did think they deserved to have wonderful first dates. He wanted the bet for Mercedes, and of course, he wanted that for himself. Mercedes deserved to have her first date with a handsome, courteous boy who was crazy about her and Kurt... Kurt deserved to have his first date with a _boy_. He let out a soft sigh but was quick to school his expression into something more neutral than the miserable face he knew he was pulling. He couldn't have Mercedes thinking he was unhappy to be on a date with her.

They stepped up to the black door and Kurt glowered at the grey stone work on the face of the addition. He couldn't fathom the thought process of the owner when choosing stone that looked so wrong next to the brick of the rest of the building. The stonework was nice and much more stylish than the brick, but what was the point of shelling out the money for something that clashed so badly with the rest of the building? Kurt let out a long-suffering sigh and gave the outside of the building one more glare before opening the door for Mercedes. She must have caught on to what he was thinking because she gave him a small grin and rolled her eyes before stepping ahead of him into the restaurant.

"Stop judging the place," whispered Mercedes with a grin as they stood at the little 'please wait to be seated' sign in the front of the restaurant. "_You_ chose it."

"I didn't seek it out," replied Kurt in a similarly hushed tone. "It was simply the lesser of evils."

"You're just being picky," commented Mercedes a little louder as she released his hand to give him a soft smack on the shoulder.

Kurt let out a huff of indignation before raising his chin. Mercedes laughed a little and rolled her eyes at him which caused Kurt to crack a small smile.

"Do you not see the wood paneling on the walls and the stained glass light fixtures?" asked Kurt.

"Yes," Mercedes laughingly replied. "But I also see the big wood fireplace and waiters in black dress pants instead of jean overalls."

"Jean overalls," exclaimed Kurt in appalled shock causing Mercedes to break out in giggles.

"For two?" asked a waitress suddenly appearing in front of them and turning to grab two menus from behind the counter.

"Yes," replied Kurt with a civil, closed-lip smile.

"Follow me," beckoned the waitress with a polite smile of her own.

Kurt took Mercedes' hand and lifted it would rest on his arm through the crook of his elbow, smiling softly at Mercedes before starting them to follow the waitress. As they made their way through the labyrinth of tables, Kurt mentally berated himself for being such a '_little bitch_', telling himself to think straight thoughts because he was on a date with a lovely girl and he better make it lovely for her.

Once they were seated, Mercedes and Kurt picked up their menus and began to sift through them. The waitress asked them for their drink orders and they laughed when they both asked for Ice Tea at the same time. The waitress gave them an amused smile before leaving them to peruse their menus.

"What do you think you'll get?" asked Mercedes, looking up from her menu with her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

"I'm not sure yet," replied Kurt before adding, "Get whatever you like, Mercedes. This is a date."

Mercedes smiled at him before looking back down at her menu. Kurt studied her for a minute while she looked over her options. She looked nervous but a little excited. He wished he could be excited like her, he wished the anxious energy she was obviously feeling was contagious, because, honestly, he just felt sick. The waitress returned not long after with their drinks.

"Have you decided?" asked the waitress after setting down their drinks in front of them.

Kurt looked up at Mercedes questioningly. The corners of her mouth twitched into a small smile and she nodded before turning to the waitress.

"I'll have the Parmesan Ravioli and the Garden Salad," said Mercedes.

"Dressing?" asked the waitress while jotting down Mercedes' choice on her notepad.

"Ranch," replied Mercedes.

"And you, sir?" asked the waitress, turning to Kurt.

"I'll have the Strawberry Showtime Salad," said Kurt before blanching when he realized how '_gay_' that sounded and quickly amending it. "As a side to my _Steak_... that can be made into a side, right?"

"I'm sure we can do that for you," the waitress said slowly.

Kurt saw Mercedes smirk and raise an eyebrow at him from the other side of the table. She looked like she was trying to hold back from laughing outright. Kurt flushed a little.

"And which steak was it that you wanted?" asked the waitress pleasantly.

"Err..." stumbled Kurt, whipping open his menu and scanning over the page frantically. "The Pepper Filet, thank you."

"And how would you like it cooked?" came another question from the waitress as she smiled painfully sweet at him from over her notepad.

"Uhh... medium?" answered Kurt in the form of a question.

He could feel his cheeks growing warmer and just knew they were moving from pink to red in colour.

"Which other side would you like?" the waitress asked as she wrote it down on her notepad.

"What?" asked Kurt.

"You get two sides with the steak, sir," she said kindly, though it was obvious that her patience was being tested or perhaps her ability not to laugh outright, it was hard to tell which from her half-hidden grimace. "You asked for the Strawberry Showtime Salad for one side, what would you like the other side to be?"

Kurt bit his lip and looked back down at the menu again.

"Mashed potatoes," he squeaked.

"Gravy?" she asked.

"On the side," he answered quickly this time.

"Alright," she said with a bright smile, putting the notebook in her apron. "I'll be back with your food in a little while. Do you want refills before then?"

"Yes, please," answered Mercedes with a grateful smile.

Kurt let out a long exhale when the waitress finally left. He let his head drop onto the table ungracefully and Mercedes began to giggle.

"Ordering here is like being interrogated," exhaled Kurt in exasperation.

Mercedes' giggles turned into a full-out laugh at that. Kurt lifted his head from the table to scowl at her.

"Oh, Baby," said Mercedes between laughs. "You didn't have to order a steak on my account. I wouldn't think anything less of your masculinity if you had just stayed with your _Strawberry Showtime_."

"Maybe I _wanted_ a steak," replied Kurt defensively.

"MmmHmmm," Mercedes hummed in response, lifting an eyebrow accusingly and working to suppress her laughter.

Kurt exhaled a groan.

* * *

><p>"Do you want any snacks?" asked Kurt as he and Mercedes settled into their seats.<p>

"We just ate," laughed Mercedes in reply, shaking her head.

"How about a drink?"

"I'm fine," replied Mercedes patting Kurt on the arm.

"Let me know if you change your mind," whispered Kurt as the lights suddenly darkened and the coming attractions began to play on the big cinema screen.

"The Princess and the Frog," whispered Mercedes excitedly as an animated preview played on the screen.

Kurt smiled to himself at her excitement.

"It is about time they had a black girl for a Disney Princess," said Mercedes in a hushed tone. "I so have to see that."

"Maybe we can go see it together when it comes out," whispered Kurt, a little excited about another Disney movie, himself.

"In the theatres?" asked Mercedes in disbelief. "We're not little kids! Won't that be embarrassing?"

"_Everyone_ likes Disney, Mercedes," replied Kurt with a lift of his chin.

Mercedes let out another giggle. Kurt didn't remember her ever '_giggling_' as much as she was that night. He actually couldn't even remember her girlishly giggling ever before they started their whole talking of 'dating'. Normally, if something was funny, she'd outright laugh her hearty, infectious laugh of hers. That night she was giggling at every little thing. Was it some sort of bashful thing? Was he doing that to her? Kurt's eyebrows shot almost right up to his hairline at the thought.

He chanced a sideways glance at her. She was looking at the screen but didn't really seem that intent on it, chewing her lip in some sort of anxious contemplation. Kurt pursed his lips thoughtfully but shrugged to himself and concentrated on the movie as it began to play; Alexis Bledel chattering away on some sort of video on a fake computer monitor.

It didn't take very long for Kurt to realize that he definitely was not interested in the movie. It didn't sound terrible from the synopsis, and really, he had no problem with romantic comedies and other chic flicks, but that particular one wasn't doing it for him. He held in his sigh and shifted a little in his seat, growing bored but not wanting to alert Mercedes to that fact.

He glanced around the theatre seating somewhat discretely, having never spent much time people-watching at the movies because he was too busy watching the movie. A young, overweight man who looked like he hadn't bathed in a while was digging rather deeply in his left nostril. Kurt grimaced. A couple a few seats over and a few rows down from them was making out quite heavily. There were quite a few couples there, Kurt suddenly realized. Most of which were sitting closely together, sharing popcorn or whispered comments, usually with the man's arm wrapped around the girl's shoulders.

Kurt bit his lip and glanced over at Mercedes. She would probably want that. Kurt closed his eyes and took a shaky breath in through his nose, counting to ten in his head before opening his eyes again. He peeked over at Mercedes again before slowly raising his arm and sliding it over the back of her chair. She didn't say anything, but he could see the corner of her mouth twitch up as he watched her profile. He let his wrist rest on her far shoulder. It felt awkward but she seemed pleased. Kurt slowly let out his breath and turned his attention back to the mediocre movie.

* * *

><p>"Her mom sure looked a lot like Coach Sylvester," commented Mercedes as the stepped out into the parking lot from the movie.<p>

"She acted nothing like her, though," replied Kurt with a smile.

"Are you saying Coach Sylvester isn't sweet and motherly?" asked Mercedes with mock affront.

A loud laugh jumped from Kurt's mouth, surprising even himself. He grinned over at Mercedes and shook his head.

"Speaking of Sue Sylvester," started Kurt, looking over at Mercedes as they walked through the busy parking lot toward his SUV. "I hear she's looking for more victims, I mean athletes, to join Cheerios."

"Yeah, something about an accident involving a human pyramid and a misfiring confetti canon," replied Mercedes with a shrug. "A bunch of girls are out for the season."

"Are you going to try out?" asked Kurt.

"What?" squawked Mercedes in surprise, turning to look at Kurt incredulously just as they approached the black SUV.

"You seem to be getting chummy with Quinn, Santana and Brittany," explained Kurt with a shrug, as he admired the way the lights reflected on his SUV.

"Oh, uh, that," stammered Mercedes.

Kurt noticed her cheeks pinking slightly even in the low light of the approaching night lit by the overhead lights and the head and tail lights of vehicles. He cocked his head to the side in question.

"They are just trying to be friendly now that they are in Glee," explained Mercedes dismissively.

"Well, be careful around them," warned Kurt as he walked her around to her side of the vehicle to open her door for her. "They are always scheming."

"Thanks for your concern," said Mercedes with a smile as she got into the passenger seat of the vehicle. "It seems like everything is going just fine, though."

Kurt lifted an eyebrow at her wording but nodded and forced a smile. He wondered what was really going on between Mercedes and the Unholy Trinity of McKinley High, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He trotted around the front of his vehicle to climb into the driver's seat. They chatted about the movie and the happenings at their school on the drive to Mercedes' house.

"Thanks for tonight, Kurt," said Mercedes giving him a bright smile.

"Should I walk you to the door?" asked Kurt.

"That's okay," replied Mercedes with a devious grin. "You can just kiss me in here."

"Okay," replied Kurt with a shrug, completely missing Mercedes' insinuation.

He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, feeling a little less tense about it than he had the first time. Their lips moved against each other for a few moments before they found a fit that suited them. Mercedes pressed in more deeply, then, sucking Kurt's top lip a little. Kurt's eyelids flutter slightly at the sensation but he still didn't feel much of anything. It was a pleasant enough kiss; definitely better than the first one.

Mercedes leaned forward and placed a hand on Kurt's knee. Unsure of what he should be doing but taking her move as a sign, Kurt raised his hands into the air between them before gingerly placing one on the side of Mercedes' face and the other on top of her hand. She pressed in even further then, letting a soft moan build in the back of her throat. Kurt could feel her hand on his knee start to slide up his leg a few inches. She sucked on his lip a little harder and leaned further into his space. Kurt retreated from the kiss and let out a shaky breath.

"Well," stammered Kurt shakily before taking in a lungful of air. "That's probably enough of that."

He caught Mercedes looking frustrated and confused before she was able to school it into a pleasant smile.

"Don't want to move too fast," explained Kurt after a few more deep breaths. "We should call it a night."

Mercedes gave him a measuring look before nodding.

"I had a great time, Kurt," she said with a bright smile.

"Uh, me too," replied Kurt with a pained smile that he wished he could have made look more sincere. "I will call you later, okay?"

"Sounds good," cooed Mercedes before leaning in and giving his a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll see you later, Kurt."

"Good night, Mercedes," replied Kurt.

He watched her walk up to her house and once she had disappeared inside he let his forehead fall to his steering wheel. This might be harder than he thought. He was in trouble.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** SO, the movie they went to see was 'Postgrad' seeing as it came out around the time they started dating if you considering the Season 1 timeframe of Glee. The funny thing (well, if you find lame things funny) is that it has Jane Lynch in it. So, yeah, that kind of amused me. ANYWAY, if you guys have any questions or comments, feel free to _insert_ them into my_ Ask_ over on tumblr. _idareu2bme(DOT)tumblr(DOT)com. _And don't hesitate to leave a review here.. I sooo appreciate you taking the time to leave them._  
><em>


	6. Bad Advice

**Title**: Flawed Design  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: Kurt/Mercedes  
><strong>Rating<strong>: PG-13 (_for now_)  
><strong>Spoilers<strong>: Season 1

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<br>**

* * *

><p>Monday morning found Mercedes loitering around the corner of the hall where she and Kurt's lockers were located. Their date on Friday night had gone well and Kurt had called her on Saturday afternoon to chat. Everything had been fine; they had talked enthusiastically about television shows, gossiped about celebrities, and talked about their latest assignment in glee club. It was comfortable. Afterward, though, Mercedes couldn't help how her own insecurities had snuck up on her. They had latched onto her cerebellum and dug in deep, whispering things that made her second guess her budding relationship with Kurt and, in turn, herself. By the time Monday had come around she was nervous of seeing Kurt.<p>

"Who are we spying on?" sounded Santana's voice from right next to Mercedes causing her to startle.

Mercedes drew her shoulders up defensively before spinning to find Santana, Brittany and Quinn smiling sweetly at her in a strange way that made the hairs on her arms want to stand on end.

"A little birdie told us that you and Kurt are dating," said Quinn.

Opening and closing her mouth a few times, Mercedes felt stuck for a response having been taken by surprise.

"Why are you spying on Kurt?" asked Brittany looking past Mercedes.

Mercedes let out a heavy breath and turned to look back down the hallway where Kurt was standing at his locker spraying his head with a can of hairspray. He looked as comfortable as one could be in high school while they were at the bottom of the food chain. He didn't look the least bit nervous about seeing Mercedes that day. He didn't look excited that he had a girlfriend now. He didn't look anything, he just looked like Kurt. She was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help it.

"I don't think he's really that thrilled to be dating me," she admitted.

The three cheerleaders shared a look.

"What makes you think that?" asked Quinn gently.

"I don't know," replied Mercedes with a sigh as she watched Kurt look around the hallway before he gingerly stepped away from his locker into the crowd, most likely to head to his first class of the day. "Just little things, I guess."

"You have to give us something to go on here, Mercedes," pressed Quinn, her smile turning slightly strained by amused.

Mercedes caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she momentarily debated whether to give details to the three girls who were most notorious for back-stabbing and rumor spreading. They seemed to be on her side for this, though.

"Friday night," said Mercedes, turning to face them again now that Kurt had disappeared off into the sea of students. "After our date I practically gave him the go-ahead for some light making out in his car and he was the one who stopped it before it could go anywhere."

The girls were quiet after Mercedes' confession. Santana had her lips pursed, Brittany was smiling with a faraway look in her eyes like she was thinking of something else, and Quinn wore a completely neutral expression on her perfect face.

"Okay," Quinn said a few moments later, prompting Mercedes to explain.

"I just..." started Mercedes, frowning thoughtfully. "I don't know if he's actually attracted to me or if he's just trying to humor me."

"Was he acting like he was bored during the kissing?" asked Quinn, tilting her head slightly.

Mercedes thought back over the date. They had pulled up to her house after their date. Despite their light-hearted chatter, her heart had been steadily rising up her throat as they neared her house driven by the anticipation of another good-night kiss. She looked forward to reaching the point in their relationship where it would be okay to just randomly kiss each other whenever one felt like it.

When Kurt had stopped the vehicle, he had turned to her and asked if she wanted him to walk her to the door. It was a simple question but it had set off a flock of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She had stared at his lips, hoping to get her intent across when she said '_you can just kiss me in here_' as suggestively as she could muster without feeling like an idiot. He had simply shrugged and gone with it, obviously not catching her meaning. That was okay, she was lucky to be dating such a sweet and somewhat naive gentleman as Kurt. She would just have to lead in situations such as that one. So, she had tried; she really had. When he kissed her, she tried to turn it into something a little steamier, even with her lack of experience. He seemed to shut right down, though, when he caught on to what she was trying to do.

"Earth to Mercedes," snapped Santana. "Quinn asked you a question."

"He didn't seem bored," replied Mercedes quickly.

"Then what? What was he like?" asked Quinn.

"He panicked a little, I think," said Mercedes thoughtfully, remembering his panting and his flushed cheeks. "He said he didn't want to move too fast."

"Oh, Honey," cut in Santana, shouldering in front of Quinn to be in the centre of Mercedes' view. "He panicked because you got him all worked up."

"Huh?" exclaimed Mercedes, eyebrows rising as she looked from Santana to Brittany who was nodding and grinning.

The five minute warning bell rang directly overhead causing the four girls to wince at the loud intrusion.

"C'mere and let Aunty Tana teach you about boys," said Santana being the first to recover from the bell.

Grinning, she circled Mercedes' shoulders with her arm and handed her text book and binder off to Brittany who happily accepted them.

The three cheerleaders and Mercedes stepped out into the busy hallway. Mercedes hugged her books close to her chest having already gotten what she needed for class before Kurt had arrived. He often took the long way to their lockers in the morning to avoid dumpster tosses.

"You have to understand that teenage boys are morons with no control over their dicks," explained Santana as they walked her voice carrying through the hallways making Mercedes want to shrink down out of sight. "They are constantly in a state where they could accidentally pop a boner at any given time. Some of them cope by..."

Santana paused for emphasis and nodded her head toward Noah Puckerman who was standing with a group of jocks around a watering fountain. The boys all looked their way as they walked past, ogling the cheerleaders appreciatively. Mercedes caught Quinn rolling her eyes.

"By screwing anything that breathes," continued Santana. "Others are a little more... reserved."

"She means virgins," whispered Brittany rather loudly, leaning across the distance between them to put her face near Mercedes.

"Yes, virgin teenage boys are the worst," sighed Santana in dramatic exasperation. "They are constantly in this fragile state where they are absolutely terrified of getting aroused and pitching a trouser tent. Well, some of them, that is, some are just dying to lose it."

Santana glared over at Jacob who was staring unabashedly at Brittany's chest from where he was standing frozen in front of his open locker.

"I'm thinking Babyface Hummel is the shrinking violet type, terrified of his own erection," surmised Santana as the group of girls stopped in front of Mercedes' classroom door. "Take it as what it is, 'Cedes."

"What's that?" asked Mercedes, surprised at the friendly term Santana used for her.

"A compliment," answered Santana with a shrug followed by a mischievous smile.

Mercedes frowned thoughtfully as the three girls gave her identical Queen-waves before turning to walk to their own classes. She waved back absently and then stepped into her classroom. Finding an empty desk, she took her seat and mulled over what Santana had said. Kurt was such a gentleman with her, what if he was just scared of things getting too heated too quickly? It seemed like it just could be possible. She let out a soft sigh of relief now that she could stop panicking over Kurt not finding her attractive.

After imagining what it would be like to be in his shoes if he did accidentally do _that_, decided that she'd let things progress at his pace instead of pushing him at the risk of setting him up for embarrassment. They definitely were_ not_ in a place where it would be anything but awkward for certain appendages to become obtrusive during kissing... yet.

* * *

><p>Kurt lingered at his locker, applying an unnecessary amount of hairspray simply for something to do. He wondered where Mercedes was. Their lockers were in the same grouping as each other. It was uncommon to not see her between classes and outright odd to miss her at the beginning of the school day. He hoped she wasn't at home sick and contemplated texting her to see if she was alright. That was when the warning bell rang signaling that classes would start in five minutes. Kurt closed his locker door and began to head to class. Since he shared his second class with Mercedes, he'd wait until then to decide whether he needed to text her.<p>

He hurried down the hall but ducked into the biology lab when he saw a group of jocks headed his way. It was beginning to fill with students, but they ignored him as he crossed the classroom and left through the door on the other side of the room. It brought him to a different hallway and he turned in time to see Mercedes heading into her first class. He paused for a moment and cocked his head to the side wondering why it looked like she had just been chatting with Santana, Quinn and Brittany. The three cheerleaders turned and walked away once Mercedes had slipped into her class. Santana and Brittany had their pinkies interlocked. Kurt did a minute shrug of his shoulders and continued on his way to class.

When his first class of the day let out, Kurt stepped back into the hallway to find Mercedes waiting for him with a coy smile on her face.

"Hi," she breathed looking both excited and nervous.

"How are you, Mercedes?" asked Kurt in his most dignified voice as he gave her a smile.

"Good," answered Mercedes, her own smile brightening.

Kurt was about to ask her what was on her mind as her eyes glanced back and forth between his face and his free hand, when she suddenly reached for his hand. She twined their fingers together so their palms were pressed and then looked into his eyes questioningly.

_Oh_. Kurt managed to keep the smile on his face and even gave her a little wink before starting forward through the busy hallway. The sea of students making their way to their next classes was somewhat difficult to wade through when hand in hand with Mercedes, but Kurt wasn't going to be the one to break the link. He could tell it had taken Mercedes a lot of bravery to put herself out there and he didn't want to let her down. He knew full well about insecurities. Plus, it couldn't hurt to be seen holding hands with a girl in the school hallway.

"So," said Kurt as they neared their shared class. "I saw you with the Unholy Trinity again this morning."

"Oh, you did?" responded Mercedes nervously.

Kurt glanced sideways at her and furrowed his brow slightly when he saw the guilty look that passed across her face.

"Are you sure you're not thinking about becoming a Cheerio?" asked Kurt.

"Kurt..." started Mercedes indignantly but Kurt cut her off.

"I know I already asked you that but I just wanted you to know that if it's something you want to do, I'll back you up if the glee club has any problem with it," said Kurt, quickly. "And by Glee club, I mean Rachel Berry."

Mercedes let out a little huff of laughter at Kurt's last comment and shook her head. She let her hand smoothly slide out of Kurt's when they reached their classroom door before entering the room. Kurt swallowed heavily when he noticed the demure smile she gave him as her fingertips slowly slid over his palm and wrist before falling away.

They walked down an aisle between desks before finding two empty seats, one in front of the other, and sat in them. Mercedes swung around in her seat after setting her books down on her desktop and looked back at Kurt.

"You wouldn't have a problem with me joining the Cheerios?" she asked.

"No! No, no, no, not at all," replied Kurt quickly before smiling and adding, "If that's what you want to do, I say do it."

Mercedes pursed her lips and Kurt wondered what she was thinking that she looked so contemplative about. She smiled a moment later and turned back around in her seat to face the front of the room. The bell rang again just as their teacher stepped into the room. She set her own books down on the large desk at the front of the room before turning to write on the board, addressing the class over her shoulder as she wrote.

Kurt wondered absently as he copied the notes the teacher was writing on the board what it would be like to be on the Cheerleading Squad. He wished he could just do things like that without having to worry about his sexuality being questioned. After some thought he shook his head and decided that it would be counterproductive to join the Cheerios. With a defeated sigh, he pushed himself to turn his attention to the notes he was writing. He could worry about doing the things he wanted _after_ he graduated and Lima, Ohio was in his rear view mirror. It was going to be a long three years.


End file.
